Self-aligning bearing



Ust, 26, fi J. H. BOOTH 2,452,352

sELF-ALIGNI'NG BEARING Filed Oct. 25, 1944 1 va-NZD Jaimes HBOOL Patented Oct.V 26, 1948 IC E/ l\ y i SELF-ALIGNING BEARING James H. Booth, Detroit, Mich., assignor -to Thompson Products corporation of Ohio fInc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

Application October 25, 1944,- Serial No. 560,243

This invention relates to self-aligning bearings especially adapted for automobile steering shafts, line shafts, and the like.

Specifically, the invention relates to a selfaligning bearing unit wherein a housing tiltably supports a spring-pressed hollow member receiving a shaft therethrough and providing a bearing for-rotatably supporting the shaft.

The invention will be hereinafter specifically described as embodied in a steering rod supporting bearing. but it should be understood that the self-aligning bearings of this invention are not limited for use in connection with steering rods, since they obviously will rotatably support any type of shalt member. For example, the devices of this inventionare especially useful in rotatably supporting line shafts and other power-transmittlng shafts.

A feature of this invention deals with the provision of a spring-pressed tiltable bearing unit that will automatically maintain a good tilting seat in a housing.

A further feature of this invention relates to the sealing of a tiltable bearing assembly.

An object of the invention is to provide a selfaligning bearing equipped with an automatic wear take-up tilting bearing unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive self-aligning bearing that will always maintain a good tilting seat in a housing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self-aligning bearing unit adapted to be cocked against spring pressure without impairing the rotating efficiency of the unit.

A specific object-of the invention deals with the provision of a self-aligning bearing that operates efficiently without the necessity for lapping or polishing the tilting bearing surfaces.

A still further specific object of the invention deals with the provision of a tiltable bearing unit having a liner sleeve pressed therein to form a bearing surface for a shaft or other device to be rotatably mounted by the unit.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings: f

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view,

with parts broken away and shown in' vertical cross section, of a steering rod and pitman arm assembly rotatably mounted in a self-aligning bearing according to this invention.-l

6 Ciaims. (Cl. 308-72) Figure 2 is a view simiiai to Figure 1, but illustrating a cocked or tilted position for the assembly.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figures 1 and 2 the reference numeral i0 designates generally a self-aligning bearing unit according to this invention. The unit lil includes a housing ii which can be forged or cast.

The housing ii has laterally projecting ears ila, lia with apertures therethrough for receiving mounting studs (not shown) to secure the housing on the frame of an automotive vehicle. 'The housing Il has a fragmental spherical ball seat ilb therein-diverging from a reduced-diameter opening llc in one end of the housing to a cylindrical bore lid in the other end of the housing.

' around the cylindrical l spring I3 so as to abut the coil spring and The seat lib can be formed by a coining or machining operation and need only be relatively rough finished. The bore iid is counterbored as at lie at the. top end of the housing.-

A tilting bearingmember i2 is mounted in the housing Il and has la semi-spherical head portion I2a tiltably mounted on the bearing wall lib of the housing. The head portion I2a has a cylindrical sleeve portion IZb projecting upwardly therefrom, and a flat shoulder I2c is formed between the divergent end of the head |2a and the base of the cylindrical portion |21?. A straight cylindrical bore i2d extends completely through the member i2.

A coil spring i3 is disposed in the housing i i portion i2b ofthe bearing member i 2 and is bottomed on the shoulder I2c of this member.

A washer it is seated in the counterbore lie of the housing and bottomed on the shoulder provided at the end of this counterbore. lThe washer iii has an aperture therethrough of larger diameter th-an the diameter of the cylindrical portion iZb of the bearing member i2 but of smaller diameter than the diameter of the coil hold it in loaded compressed condition on the shoulder I2c. The washer i4 is held in fixed relation in the counterbore lie by spinning a portion iif of the housing over thewasher.

yA liner sleeve i5 is press-fitted in the bore I2d of the bearing member i2. This sleeve I5 can be composed of bronze, lubricant-impregnated metal, graphitic carbon, plastic, or the like. If

desired, the entire bearing element I2 `can be al one-piece member composed of a synthetic resin lik such as a phenolic condensation product or the marginalv periphery of the `reduced-diameter portion against the shoulder iSd thereof.

attacca A steering shaft i6 has a reduced-diameter portion iSa extending through the bearing unit I in bearing relation with the sleeve I5. The 16a projects beneath the bottom of the housing Il and has a further reduced-diameter portion Iib depending beneath the housing.

A shoulder IGC is provided at the top of the reduced-diameter portion iBa while a second shoulder iSd is provided at the top of the reduceddiameter portion i617.

A washer il is disposed around the shaft portion'la against the shoulder ic and a rubber dust cap i8 snugly embraces the shaft portion ita and has a top face i8a seated against the washer l1 and a concave bottom face iBb having the peripheral portion thereof seated on the spun-over end Il! of the housing. The concave .face lsb is normally spaced from the bearing member i2.

A second rubber dust cap or sealing ring I9 is disposed around the shaft portion IBa that pro- `iects beneath the housing il. A pitman arm 2B has an eye end 2da seated on the reduced-diameter portion iBb of the shaft The sealing ring or dust cap i9 has a fiat bottom face 89a seated on the top ofthe eye end 20o of the pitman arm. The sealing ring i9 has a concave top face IQb the outer peripheral portion of which is seated on the outer bottom end of the housing in spaced relation .outwardly from the aperture lic of the housing.

A look washer 2i is disposed aroundthe portion ib of the shaft, and a nut 22 is threaded on this portion against the lock washer 2i to secure the eye end 2Go of the pitman arm to the steering rod.

The steering rod i5 is thus rotatably mounted in the sleeve i5. The sleeve iii is a radial bearing rotatably supporting the rod and, since it is disposed in the tiltable bearing member it, the housing li can assume a tilted position as illustrated in Figure 2 without binding the bearing. Thus, for example, whenever the studs for mounting the housing ii are somewhat out of line, this housing can be tilted relative shaft i6 can be tilted without in any way interfering with of the bearing sleeve it.

The sealing caps commodate the cocked or tilted relationship between the housing and shaft through interparticle ow of the rubber without breaking sealing contact with the housing and shaft as illustrated in Figure 2.

The spring i3 readily accommodates the cocked position for the bearing member i2 and, at the same time, continues to urge this bearing member toward the convergent end of its seat lib to take up any wear developed during usage. The sleevelike tail part of the ball member or bearing elerelative to the housing ii the eiciency ment I2 prevents the spring from contacting the shaft. A l

From the above descriptions it will beunderstood that the invention provides an inexpensive efilciently operating self-aligning radial bearing especially adapted for rotatably supporting a steering rod or other shaft.-

to the bearing i2, or the` i8 and ilwill readily ac- It will, of course, be understood that various I details of construction of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

maybe varied through a v wide range without departing from the principles` I claim as my invention:

housing having laterally projecting mounting ears, a ball seat in said housing, a ball member tiltably mounted on said seat, a shoulder on said ball member, a spring acting on said shoulder urging the ball member into seating relationship with its seat, a bearing sleeve pressed into said ball member 'and defining a radial bearing, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, seal members disposed around said shaft on opposite sides of said housing having opposed concave end faces in sealing engagement with said housing, and means secured to said housing holding said spring in compressed condition on said shoulder of the ball member. f

2. A self-aligning bearing comprising a housing having a bearing surface at one end thereof accommodating tilting movement and diverging from a reduced-diameter opening in one end of the housing to a cylindrical bore extending to the other end of the housing, a hollow bearing member in said housing having a head portion tiltably mounted on said bearing wall, a shoulder portion at the base of the head and an integral sleeve portion of less diameter than said bore, a coil spring disposed around said sleeve portion of the bearing member seated on said shoulder, a retainer se-v cured in said housing holding said spring in loaded condition, a bearing liner sleeve pressed in said bearing member, and mounting means on said housing.

3. A steering shaft bearing comprising a housing having mounting ears for iixedly attaching the housing to an automotive frame or the like, said housing having a ball seat therein at one end thereof and a cylindrical bore in the other end thereof, a tiltable bearing member having a ball head portion seated on said seat and a cylindrical portion projecting from said head portion. a spring seated around said cylindrical portion, means loading said spring to urge the ball member against its seat, a steering shaft rotatably mounted in the ball member, rubber seal rings disposed around said steering shaft on opposite ends of said housing, and means holding said rubber seal rings against said housing.

4. A steering shaft assembly comprising a shaft having a reduced diameter cylindrical portion providing a shoulder on the shaft, a washer bottomed on said shoulder, a rubber sealing ring seated on said reduced diameter portion against said washer, said sealing ring having a concave end face, a housing member having an open end receiving the marginal portion of said sealing ring therearound in sealing relation therewith, ears on said housing for attaching the housing to an automobile frame or the like, tiltably mounted in said housing having a plain cylindrical bearing sleeve therein rotatably supporting the reduced diameter portion 'of said shaft, a spring member in said housing urging the tiltable bearing member-'into constant bearing engagement with the housing, a second sealing ring disposed around the reduced diameter portion of the shaft and-having a concave end face seated around said housing, and a pitman arm having an eye end bottoming said second sealing ring to hold said ring in sealing relation against said housing whereby said steering shaft can tilt relative to the housing without interfering with the rotatable support for the shaft.

5. A self -algnng bearing for a shaft, said bear-V ing comprising a housing with a bore shaped to form a seat to accommodate tilting movements a, bearing member at one end and enlarging into a. cylindrical bore y at the other end. a tiltable bearing member having a head portion seated in said seat, a sleeve portion of less diameter than said bore,- and a shoulder portion at the base of said head portion, a coil spring disposed around said sleeve portion of said bearing member and seated on said shoulder, and a retainer secured in said housing holding said spring in a loaded condition, said bearing 'member having a, bore passing therethrough to receive said shaft.

6. A self-aligning bearing for a shaft having abutting sections of smaller and larger diameter, said bearing comprising a housing with a bore shaped to form a seat to accommodate tilting movements at one end and enlarging into a cylindrical bore at the other end, a tiltable bearing member with/a bore to receive the section of said shaft having said smaller diameter and having a head portion seated in said seat, said member having a sleeve portion of less diameter than said bore and a shoulder portion at the base of said head portion, a coil spring disposed around said sleeveiportion of said bearing member and seated on said shoulder. a retainer secured in said housing holding said spring in a loaded condition.v

and a resiliently deformable seal ring surrounding vsaid shaft at said section of smaller diameter and disposed between said\bearing member and said section f larger diameter to rest against the abutment formed by said sections to support said` shaft. i y JAMES H. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CIT The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,446,134 Smith Feb. 20, 1923 1,635,468 Dodge July 12, 192'? 1,903,483 Skillman Apr. 11, 1933 1,946,086 Lyman Feb. 6,' 1934 2,061,758 Eastman Nov.. 24, 1936 2,126,408 Peo r Aug. 9, 1938 2,309,281 Steele Jan. 28, 1943 O FOREIGN Pas Number Country Date 192,288 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1923 231,715 Great Britain Apr. 9, 1925 

